School re-elects Carson chairman by 4-2 vote

MILFORD – Nancy Carson was re-elected chairman of the Caroline County School Board after a brief, quiet stalemate with George Spaulding, the vice chairman of the board.

At the start of the panel’s regular meeting Monday evening, it held an organizational session to choose a new chairman and vice chairman, among other things.

Nancy Carson

At the start of the session, overseen by Superintendent Greg Killough, Mack Wright Jr. quickly nominated Spaulding to serve as chairman in 2013, and Shawn Kelley just as quickly seconded Wright’s motion.

Mary Anderson, saying she was reluctant to make the matter a contest, placed Carson’s name in nomination.

The ensuing vote, however, was a tie. Wright and Kelley voted for Spaulding, and Anderson and Tinka Harris voted for Carson. Spaulding and Carson, sitting side by side, voted for themselves, making a 3-3 stalemate.

Harris suggested voting to keep the same chairman and vice chairman as in 2012, but Killough indicated the board would have to vote separately to choose a chairman and vice chairman.

Killough moved the board along to a few other perfunctory organizational matters in the hopes that when the returned to the issue of picking a chairman again, someone would change their mind.

When they returned to the business of voting for the two positions again, the board was faced with the same candidates.

However, Spaulding broke the tie by voting in favor of Carson as chairman. She was elected by a 4-2 vote with Spaulding joined by Anderson, Harris, and Carson. Wright and Kelley voted again for Spaulding.

Spaulding subsequently was elected unanimously to serve as vice chairman.